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A senior source, quoted in the paper, said: “The UK Government’s contribution to the Ayrshire Growth Deal will be in the region of £100 million.

“It’s clear from the growth deal process that a lot of very exciting projects have been put forward. We are confident the deal can deliver a massive boost to the local economy.”

The Ayrshire Growth Deal will provide significant investment in the key sectors of aerospace and space at Prestwick , life sciences, manufacturing and tourism. The Scottish Government owns loss-making Prestwick Airport.

It has been talked about for years as a £300 million fund but the Scottish Government and three Ayrshire councils have all failed to reveal their financial input. The aim is to make key investments that will grow the economy and lead to 13,000 new jobs.

To do that the £300m public sector finance will have to trigger £2 billion of private investment.

It is widely accepted Ayrshire has missed out on big investment deals as it has three councils scrapping for superiority, rather than a single strategic voice.

All seven of Scotland’s cities are now covered by the deals and Ayrshire is in the first wave of regions.

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The £100m for Ayrshire takes total UK Government commitment to £1.2 billion across Scotland.

The newspaper quoted List MSP Brian Whittle who said: “Along with investment by the Scottish Government in our transport network, the Ayrshire Growth Deal can supercharge the area’s economy for the coming years.”